Moving pivoted indicating target

ABSTRACT

An educational and amusement device embodying a casing having a viewing opening and a wheel journaled in the casing for rotation by power means, about a normally horizontal axis and having a number of targets mounted on its periphery for sequential display through the opening. Each target when struck by a missile projected through the opening, is thereby pivoted about a chordal axis of the wheel, into a position displaying the fact of a hit or correct aim.

United States Patent [191 Lienhard [451 June 4,1974

[54] MOVING PIVOTED INDICATING TARGET [76] Inventor: Julius Caesar Lienhard, 9317 Lakeland Ct., Richmond, Va. 23229 22 Filed: Nov. 1, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 302,831

[52] U.S. Cl. 273/l02.l E, 273/1021 C, 273/1052, 273/127 D [51] Int. Cl A63b 7/12 [58] Field of Search 273/102 R, 102 S, 102.1 R, 273/102.1C, 102.1 D, 1052, 127 R, 127 D [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,436,962 11/1922 Kaiser 273/127 D 2,232,743 2/1941 Swenson... 273/1052 2,510,380 6/1950 Clifford 273/1052 2,957,694 10/1960 Barber 273/1021 R 3,001,794 9/1961 Alu 273/127 D 3,165,317 1/1965 Kirsch 273/1021 C 3,480,279 11/1969 lngebo 1 273/44 3,503,614 3/1970 Suroff 273/1052 Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind [57] ABSTRACT I An educational and amusement device embodying a casing having a viewing opening and a wheel journaled in the casing for rotation by power means, about a normally horizontal axis and having a number of targets mounted on its periphery for sequential display through the opening. Each target when struck by a missile projected through the opening, is thereby pivoted about a chordal axis of the wheel, into a position displaying the fact of a hit or correct aim.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures R\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ NR PATENTEDJUN 4 I974 SHEET 1 [IF 2 1 MOVING PIVOTED INDICATING TARGET SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an educational and amusement device.

It is thechief and general purpose to provide a device of the nature stated, which affords amusement, entertainment, education and instruction for people of all ages and, in particular for children.

Another object is to provide an educational and amusement device which is relatively simple and inexpensive to fabricate and assemble and which can be made in a wide variety of attractive and long-lived forms and constructions.

A further object is to provide an educational device which is adaptable to any selected one of a number of fields of education and which by a combination of skill and visual instruction is very effective in teaching children to identify various animals, objects, articles, geometrical forms, etc., as well as solutions of simple problems in arithmetic.

Yet another object is the provision of an appliance which is useful for improving aim in throwing or projecting missiles, as by a to gun or air rifle.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art, after a study of the following detailed description, in connection with the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a front elevation of the complete appliance;

FIG. 2 is a sectional detail to an enlarged scale, taken in a plane identified by line 2 2, FIG. 1, showing the mounting for the wheel shaft, the motor, and interconnecting driving gears;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view to an enlarged scale over, and taken in a plane identified by line 3 3, FIG. 1, showing a portion of the wheel and one of the pivoted targets in erect or aiming position;

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view to the same scale as FIG. 3, taken about in a plane identified by line 4 4, FIG. 1, showing mechanism for sequentially returning to normal, each target which has been previously hit by a missile; and

FIG. Sis a perspective detail view showing one of the plurality of duplicate targets and its pivotal mounting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring especially to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, a casing 1 of generally cylindrical form, includes front wall 2, rear wall 3 and peripheral wall 4 which, as shown, may be rebetted along its edges to fit over the edges of the front and rear walls, and secured thereto by clips or machine screws by which the parts may be readily assembled or taken apart for adjustments and/or repairs.

Front wall 2 has an arcuate viewing opening 5 through'which targets subsequently described are successively displayed and through which missiles are projected to strike them. As seen in FIG. 1 the opening has an angular extent sufficient to display in full the uppermost target, and about half of the leading and trailing target s. A carrying handle 6 is attached to the top of wall 4. The front and rear walls project outwardly at their bases as shown in FIG. I, and are attached to feet 2 7 and 8 by which the device is supported in upright position for use.

At their central areas, front and rear walls 2 and 3 are provided with recesses in which shaft bearings 9 and 10, respectively, FIG. 2, have a press fit. The bearings are horizontally aligned and between them journal a shaft 11. The shaft has a worm gear 12 and a flanged collar 13 fixed thereto in axially spaced relation. Collar 13 is shown as connected to the shaft by a set screw 14. Gear 12 may be fixed to the shaft by a key or a set screw, not shown. Thus the shaft, gear and collar rotate as a unit.

A target-carrying wheel I5 of metal or plastic or plywood, is disposed within the casing coaxially of shaft 11 and attached by any suitable means such as machine screws 16 inserted through registering holes in the flange of the collar, and the wheel. The wheel is generally of circular disk-like form, but at each target location the rim of the wheel is provided with a block-like radial extension 17, FIGS. 3 and 4, and which as shown may be integral with the body portion of the wheel. Alternatively extensions 17 may be attached by adhesive or screws, in angularly spaced locations about the periphery of the wheel. See FIG. 5 also. From the figures noted it is seen that the forward edge of each block-like extension is rabetted or cut away as indicated at 18..

At each end of the rabbett 18 there is secured to the side walls of each extension, as by adhesive, soldering, etc., a bearing plate 19 having an upwardly-opening bearing notch 19a formed therein, noting FIG. 5 in particular. Thus the two circumferentially spaced bearing notches of each block or extension 17 are in alignment along and define a respective one of a number of chordal axes, one for each target.

A single pivot wire 21 extends about the circumference of the wheel and has bearing in the two notches 19a at each target. Thus it extends in a straight run or pass at each target between the two plates thereat, and which forms a pivot bearing for the sleeve 22 of each target. A convenient way of connecting the ends of the wire is by reversely threading its ends and using a turnbuckle or threaded coupling such as 21a, FIG. 5, so that the wire may be readily removed by turning the coupling to release its ends from the wire, or tightened by turning in the opposite direction. Thus the pivot wire passes with a smooth bearing fit through each of the bearing sleeves 22, one for each target, so that each target is mounted for individual pivoting about its own chordal axis of the wheel.

As best shown upon FIG. 5, each target 20 is a onepiece item of plastic or sheet metal, forming portions or leaves 23 and 24 disposed in planes at each extending radially from the central axis of bearing sleeve 22, so that each portion lies essentially in a respective one of two planes through and radially of its pivot axis. At each target location wheel 15 has fixed to its forward face, one arm of a 90 bracket 25. The other arm extends horizontally forwardly and thus forms a stop for leaf 23, limiting its counterclockwise pivoting to the position, FIG. 3, wherein second leaf 24 is upright and, in the position of that figure, exposed to view through opening 5.

Leaf 23 has a small weight 26 attached to its radially outward edge and which acts to urge or hold the target in contact with the bracket. The other leaf 24 has an armature 27 fixed thereto, consisting of'a small piece, round or square, of soft iron. Likewise wheel 15 at each target location carries, fixed to its periphery, a small magnet 28 so disposed in a way obvious from inspection of FIGS. 3 and 4, that it attracts the armature when leaf 23 is in a vertical or erect position of pivotal adjustment. In that position leaf 24 is, of course, invisible through opening 5.

Each leaf 24 has on its face normally visible when in registration with opening 5, a word identifying an animal or an object and at which a player may aim and attempt to hit with a missile. For example, FIG. 5 shows the word Lion. Corresponding words on other target leaves 24 might for instance, be Tiger," Zebra," Elephant, etc. Further, each leaf 23 has upon its face visible at times through opening 5, a pictorial representation of the animal or object identified on leaf 24 of the same target. Thus for instance, when leaf 24, FIG. 5, bearing the word Lion, is struck by a missile and thereby pivoted 90 clockwise from the position shown, and armature 27 is in contact with magnet 28 and leaf 23 is vertical, the latter displays through opening 5 a pictorial representation of a lion. Thus each target will, when its leaf 24 is erect, display a word identifying a particular animal, article or object, and when that leaf 24 is struck by a missile projected through opening 5 and thereby pivoted out of view, leaf 23 of that target is turned into the vertical and displays a pictorial representation of the same animal, article or object.

Shaft 11 supporting wheel and its bearings, as well as worm gear 12 affixed to the shaft, have been previously described. A small battery-powered motor 29, FIG. 2, is mounted upon a bracket, not shown, carried by casing l at any convenient location as by rear wall 3. The bracket may also support a battery such as a zinc'carbon, silver-oxide or nickel-cadmium type, wired to the motor through a switch exposed at a convenient location on the casing. The exact location and arrangement of the battery, wiring and switch arenot critical, but are subject to various arrangements based upon matters of design. Shaft 30 of motor 29 has a worm 31 fixed'or keyed to its end, and in mesh with gear 12. Thus, energization of the motor rotates shaft 11, wheel 15 and all of the targets carried thereby, at a reduced speed. The motor may be of the variable speed type in which event the casing 1 will carry exteriorly thereof, a speed control knob thus enabling the target wheel to be rotated at any selected one of a number of different speeds or rates of rotation. ln the manner described each of the twelve targets shown is successively displayed through opening 5.

The missiles used may be steel, wood or plastic spheres or pellets, darts or arrows. The pellets may be thrown by hand, or they may be projected from a toy rifle or pistol of known types. Whatever procedure is used, the purpose is to project a pellet or ball through opening 5, to strike the target then being displayed, with force sufficient to pivot it so that leaf 24 is in the downward position shown in dotted lines on FIG. 3, leaf 23 is erect, and magnet 28 becomes effective upon armature 27 to maintain the target in struck position.

Means are provided to engage each target in struckj position after it has moved out of view through opening 5 and restore it to aiming position shown in solid lines upon FIG. 3. Such means are shown on FIG. 4, to consist of a metal wire or strap 32 attached at 33 to the front wall 2 of the casing, and shaped to extend rearwardly and downwardly so that its free end projects horizontally forwardly adjacent the periphery of wheel 15. This end is so located that prior to rotation of a struck target into view, it engages leaf 24 and in an obvious way pivots that target counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow, FIG. 4, thus separating armature 27 from magnet 28. The angle of pivoting is sufficient to enable weight 26 to become effective and restore the target to the aiming position shown upon FIGS. 3 and 5. If required the free end of strip 32 may be shaped like a flat cam or inclined plane pivoting the target counterclockwise as viewed upon F IG. 4 through an angular distance sufficient to free the armature from attraction by the magnet. Other means acting automatically and positively to restore each struck target, in succession to aiming position as aforesaid, are possible and contemplated. It is also contemplated that a Geneva gear may be interposed in the drive from motor 29 to wheel 15, so that each target is, in sequence, rapidly rotated into aiming position, held motionless in that position for, say, one or two seconds, then rapidly moved out of the field of view, to display the succeeding target.

When as the result of correct aim a missile enters through opening 5, strikes the target instantaneously displayed thereat, it falls to the base of the casing. The base is constructed internally to form a channel as indicated in dotted lines at 34, FIG. 1. sloping downwardly to the right to direct each pellet P through an opening 35 in the base so that it may be retrieved and re-used.

There are many possible ways of using the invention for entertainment and instruction. Assuming for instance that it is being used by children projecting pellets or spheres with a toy rifle, the device may be set on a table, motor 29 is energized to rotate wheel 15 at a selected relatively slow speed. As each target comes into view its leaf 24 displays the name of an animal such as Lion. The user can aim and fire at each target as it comes into view. Or he can wait until the word identifying a particular animal comes into view. When as the result of correct aim and firing the projected pellet passes through opening 5, strikes the leaf 2.4 then being displayed and pivots its downwardly, leaf 23 becomes erect and a pictorial illustration of that particular animal is displayed. Thus children, in particular, find the invention very entertaining. It is also educational because the name of the animal and its picture are associated in a way which, being dependent upon skill and aim, creates an impression which is lasting.

Of course, objects such as fruits, vegetables, and articles of common or everyday use, can be displayed upon the targets, and in each case a pictorial representation of the article or object is shown on leaf 23 corresponding to the word on leaf 24 identifying the object. Or

- each target leaf 24 may display a letter of the alphabet and the corresponding leaf 23 may show the name of an object beginning with that letter. Alternatively simple arithmetical expressions may be displayed by each leaf 24, such as 3 5 and the answer 8 may be shown by the corresponding leaf 23. Many modifications and other ways of usefully employing the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after a study of the foregoing disclosure. Hence the disclosure is to be taken in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense. Due to the fact that pivot wire 21 is readily separable from the wheel, it is possible to quickly substitute one particular set of targets for another, either by removing the first set from the wire and threading on a second set, or by providing a number of wires, each with its own set of targets, twelve in the model shown but capable of variation as to number, within practicable limits.

I claim:

1. An amusement and educational device comprising a casing having a forward vertical wall with a viewing opening therethrough, a target wheel joumaled in said casing for rotation about its central axis generally normal to said wall and below said viewing opening, a plurality of target mounting blocks integrally attached to the peripheral portion of said wheel in equiangularly spaced relation about said central axis each said block being rabbetted circumferentially of said axis to provide a forwardly and radially outwardly directed surface at the level of said viewing opening, a plurality of pairs of bearings, each said bearing pair being fixed to and in circumferentially spaced relation with its respective mounting block, each bearing of each pair being notched to define a respective one of a corresponding number of chordal axes, one for each block, a single pivot wire extending circumferentially about said wheel and having disconnectable bearing support in the notches of each said pair of bearings, a plurality of targets each journaled on said wire between and circumferentially confined by and between a respective bearing pair, each said target comprising a sleeve joumaled on said wire, and first and second target leaves integrally connected with said sleeve and extending in 90 angular relation radially of its chordal axis, means fixed with said wheel for limiting each said target to 90 angular movement about its chordal axis between first and second positions, wherein said first leaf is substantially in the plane of the wheel and periodically visible through said opening, while said second leaf is essentially normal to and forwardly directed with respect to the plane of the wheel, and a second position wherein said first leaf is substantially normal to and rearwardly directed with respect to the plane of the wheel, and said second leaf is substantially in the plane of the wheel and periodically viewable through said opening, each said target when in registration with said viewing opening in display of its first leaf, being pivotable to display its second leaf, by and in response to a missile projected through said viewing opening, means carried by said casing and connected with said wheel for rotating the same about said central axis, and reset means operable in sequence on each said target rotated to said second position and subsequent to display through said viewing opening, for resetting the same to its said first position.

2. The device of claim 1, said first surface bearing the name of an object, viewable through said opening, said second surface bearing a pictorial representation of the object named on said first surface.

3. The device of claiin 1, power means fixed with said casing, and drive means interconnected between said power means and said wheel and intermittently rotating the wheel step by step, by and in response to uniform rate of operation of said power means, to thereby display said target at said opening with a dwell period.

4. The device of claim 1, and holding means operable to releasably hold each said target in its said second position, said reset means being operated by and in response to rotation of said wheel, to render said holding means ineffective.

5. The device of claim 4, said reset means comprising a cam fixed with said casing and operating in response to rotation of said wheel, to engage and pivot each said frist leaf in second position, toward first position, and weight means fixed with each said second leaf and effective to gravitationally urge and return each said target into its said first position. 

1. An amusement and educational device comprising a casing having a forward vertical wall with a viewing opening therethrough, a target wheel journaled in said casing for rotation about its central axis generally normal to said wall and below said viewing opening, a plurality of target mounting blocks integrally attached to the peripheral portion of said wheel in equiangularly spaced relation about said central axis each said block being rabbetted circumferentially of said axis to provide a forwardly and radially outwardly directed surface at the level of said viewing opening, a plurality of pairs of bearings, each said bearing pair being fixed to and in circumferentially spaced relation with its respective mounting block, each bearing of each pair being notched to define a respective one of a correSponding number of chordal axes, one for each block, a single pivot wire extending circumferentially about said wheel and having disconnectable bearing support in the notches of each said pair of bearings, a plurality of targets each journaled on said wire between and circumferentially confined by and between a respective bearing pair, each said target comprising a sleeve journaled on said wire, and first and second target leaves integrally connected with said sleeve and extending in 90* angular relation radially of its chordal axis, means fixed with said wheel for limiting each said target to 90* angular movement about its chordal axis between first and second positions, wherein said first leaf is substantially in the plane of the wheel and periodically visible through said opening, while said second leaf is essentially normal to and forwardly directed with respect to the plane of the wheel, and a second position wherein said first leaf is substantially normal to and rearwardly directed with respect to the plane of the wheel, and said second leaf is substantially in the plane of the wheel and periodically viewable through said opening, each said target when in registration with said viewing opening in display of its first leaf, being pivotable to display its second leaf, by and in response to a missile projected through said viewing opening, means carried by said casing and connected with said wheel for rotating the same about said central axis, and reset means operable in sequence on each said target rotated to said second position and subsequent to display through said viewing opening, for resetting the same to its said first position.
 2. The device of claim 1, said first surface bearing the name of an object, viewable through said opening, said second surface bearing a pictorial representation of the object named on said first surface.
 3. The device of claim 1, power means fixed with said casing, and drive means interconnected between said power means and said wheel and intermittently rotating the wheel step by step, by and in response to uniform rate of operation of said power means, to thereby display said target at said opening with a dwell period.
 4. The device of claim 1, and holding means operable to releasably hold each said target in its said second position, said reset means being operated by and in response to rotation of said wheel, to render said holding means ineffective.
 5. The device of claim 4, said reset means comprising a cam fixed with said casing and operating in response to rotation of said wheel, to engage and pivot each said frist leaf in second position, toward first position, and weight means fixed with each said second leaf and effective to gravitationally urge and return each said target into its said first position. 